Posted on 01/01/2007 8:46:14 PM PST by Coleus
A simple blood test that would predict a person's likelihood of developing different types of cancer could be in use within two years, scientists said yesterday. Researchers have found evidence supporting the theory that mutations in stem cells, the body's basic building blocks that can change into other types of cell, are fundamental to the development of cancers.
Stem cells are kept in an immature state by proteins called the Polycomb group which suppress critical genes that would otherwise cause them to develop. When the body functions normally, it can transform stem cells into different types of cell by allowing different combinations of genes to be switched on. However a process called DNA methylation, in which these key genes are permanently switched off, leaves stem cells unable to become healthy new tissue. Analysis of 200 different genes in adult stem cells, and of normal and cancerous breast, ovary, bowel and lung tissue has shown that DNA methylation predisposes cells to becoming cancerous.
As the process can be identified through a blood test, it should be possible to work out an individual's background risk of getting different cancers. This would mean those at high risk could be screened more regularly — leading to many more cancers being treated at an early stage. Dr Martin Widschwendter, of University College London's Institute for Women's Health, found that in cancerous samples the methylation process was 12 times more likely to have happened in the key genes than in others.
Dr Widschwendter, whose work was published online by the journal Nature Genetics, said: "It is possible that in two years' time we could be introducing a whole new way of predicting cancer risk."
on the one hand, this will save lives. On the other hand, it will be used by insurance companies to deny coverage.
Well, very good if it works as hoped, from predisposition test to early diagnosis, and then hopefully to early interference.
No cure attached so I don't see it as saving lives but it surely will be used by insurance companies.
early detection by finding stage one cancers in many parts of the body have saved millions of lives. It's one of the reasons why we get colonoscopes, biopsies, mammograms, DRE's & PSA's of the prostate, etc. The word "cure" is seldom used in cancer.
Could be--but it's also possible in some cases that the premiums for that person may not rise as much as one would suspect if the free markets were allowed to work.
Let's say an insurance company knows someone is at extremely high risk for colon cancer. The company could say "we will be glad to cover you on the condition you have a colonoscopy every year." The odds are high that any cancer would be caught in the polyp stage and could just be removed without the expense of chemotherapy and radiation.
The expected future cost of people at known high risk may not be that much greater than the expected future cost of people with unknown risk.
Unfortunately, this analysis breaks down for certain kinds of cancer where the treatment is expensive regardless of when it's caught, such as brain cancer. At some point, the states may need to step in to help with the catastrophic costs of uninsurable cases. (Notice that I didn't say "Federal goverment", "ordinary costs", or "high-risk cases." )
Roche just terminated its 4-year collaboration with Epigenomics to develop Dx tests based on DNA methylation technologies-- its over. do google search re; Roche and Epigenomics--which just laid off staff and its value plummeted. There are new diagnostic technologies on the horizon--but certainly not DNA methylation.
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